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A wooden floor is varnished in 2 to 3 coats of Mylac, a single-pack water-based 100% polyurethane floor lacquer, applied 3 to 4 hours apart on wood sanded smooth, de-nibbed with 220 grit between coats, in a cool dry room. On an old re-sanded floor, a coat of Shellac Barrier Seal first isolates any remaining oil or wax. Light use after 24 hours, full hardness in 7 days. For a hallway or a shop, Mylac Extra, two-pack with hardener, goes further still.
Page updated September 2026 · by the Mylands France woodcare specialists
Why varnish
Where a hard wax oil penetrates, a floor lacquer forms a film. Mylac is a single-pack water-based lacquer on a 100% polyurethane dispersion: it dries fast, does not yellow, resists spills and wear, and meets BS 7044 for slip resistance. In three sheens — Matt, Satin, Gloss — for interior floors, hardwood and softwood, domestic and commercial. Mylac Extra, two-pack with a hardener, is the version for the heaviest traffic. The choice between oil and lacquer is in Varnish or lacquer for wood.
A film asks two things an oil does not. A perfectly smooth surface: on open-pored oak or walnut, the cellulose grain filler fills the pores and is sanded with 220 grit to a glass-smooth surface. A cool, dry atmosphere: humidity brings up a white, milky bloom in the film. And on an old re-sanded floor, Shellac Barrier Seal, a quick-drying primer, stops any remaining oil or wax contaminating the Mylac and gives it depth.
The method
One day for three coats 3 to 4 hours apart, in a cool, dry room without a dust-laden draught.
From 80 grit to 120, then 150 to erase the scratches, and a final finer pass: under a film, the surface must be perfectly smooth. On an old floor, go down to bare wood; every trace of old wax or oil must go.
On an open-pored wood, apply Cellulose Sanding Sealer, let it dry, then sand it with 220 grit until the surface feels glass-smooth. On a softwood or beech, this step is not needed.
A lacquer shows every speck of dust set in the film. Vacuum the floor, the skirting, the window sills, then wipe with a tack cloth until it comes back clean. Close the windows.
On a re-sanded floor that has known wax or oil, this quick-drying primer isolates the contamination and gives the lacquer depth. Unnecessary on a new, clean floor, but never wasted on an old one.
Stir well. With a high-quality synthetic brush or an applicator, spread an even coat along the boards, in sections, keeping a wet edge. Do not over-brush: a water-based lacquer levels on its own.
Between each coat, a light de-nib with 220 grit stearated paper removes the dust nibs, then vacuum and tack cloth. Two to three coats in all, 3 to 4 hours apart.
Twenty-four hours before walking in socks, seven days before rugs and heavy furniture. Afterwards, a soft cloth and a very mild soap solution; never a silicone furniture spray, never wax.
The sheens
01
The deep matt that makes you forget there is a film: the oak looks bare, protected without a reflection. Ideal in a living room flooded with light, where a satin would show every scratch. One reservation: Matt is not suitable for sports floors.
02
The compromise for the corridor and the stairs: a light sheen that washes well, meets BS 7044 for slip resistance and forgives repeated traffic. On a staircase, every other tread, so the house stays usable during the 24 hours of drying.
03
The high gloss of reception-room floors: it demands faultless preparation, because every flaw shows in the film, but gives an old re-sanded wide-board floor a depth that matt does not have. Shellac Barrier Seal first, then three coats.
04
The two-pack: Mylac Extra is catalysed 10 to 1 with its hardener and used within about 2 hours. Maximum resistance to wear and liquids, for an apartment lobby, a restaurant, an office or a shop. Matt or Satin Matt.
In one table
| Product | Where | The look | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mylac Matt | Living rooms, bedrooms, studies | Deep matt, bare-wood look | Not suitable for sports floors |
| Mylac Satin | Halls, corridors, stairs, kitchens | Light sheen, easy to wash | The most versatile; BS 7044 slip resistance |
| Mylac Gloss | Reception rooms, period floors | High gloss, depth | Demands a perfect surface and a Shellac Barrier Seal on an old floor |
| Mylac Extra Matt / Satin Matt | Shops, lobbies, restaurants, offices, sports halls | Matt or satin matt | Two-pack 10:1 with hardener, about 2 hours pot life; 4.5 L + 500 ml |
For all of them: 2 to 3 coats, 3 to 4 hours between each, de-nib with 220, light use after 24 hours, full hardness in 7 days.
To avoid
Frequently asked
Mylac, single-pack in a 1 L tin, is enough for the whole house, stairs and kitchen included. Mylac Extra, two-pack in 4.5 L with its 500 ml hardener, is designed for the heaviest traffic: shops, lobbies, restaurants, sports halls. It is catalysed 10 to 1 and used within about 2 hours.
Two to three, 3 to 4 hours apart, long enough for the previous coat to be touch-dry. Three coats in a hall, a corridor or a kitchen; two may do in a bedroom. Always a de-nib with 220 between coats.
A sound, clean varnished floor is keyed and recoated; a worn, oiled or waxed floor is re-sanded to bare wood, then given a coat of Shellac Barrier Seal before the Mylac, to isolate any contamination. Identifying the old finish is covered in Wood finishes preparation.
That is the room's humidity, or still-damp wood, trapped in the film as it dried. On a small area, let it dry fully in a heated, dry room, de-nib and apply another coat. If the bloom is general, it has to be re-sanded. Prevention: a cool dry room, dry wood.
Yes: a Light Fast Stain or an Earth Stain colours the wood, then 2 to 3 coats of Mylac protect it. Over a spirit-based Light Fast Stain, apply a coat of Shellac Barrier Seal before the water-based lacquer. On pine boards, a Water Stain first against blotching. See Choosing a wood stain.
See also
“A film forgives nothing in the surface or the air: smooth, dry, cool, and Mylac does the rest.”
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